


Tarzan & Jane

by flootiger



Category: Tokio Hotel
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Twincest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24380230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootiger/pseuds/flootiger
Summary: In which Andy gets too drunk, Gustav gets laid, Tom thinks dressing up as Tarzan in October is a good idea and Bill is most definitely not Jane.He’s a vampire, duh.
Relationships: Bill Kaulitz/Tom Kaulitz
Kudos: 4





	Tarzan & Jane

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to my tokiohotelfiction page on 25 october 2016 :)

“You’re going as a vampire again?”

Bill looked up to see Tom standing in the doorway of his bedroom clad only in pyjama bottoms. He stuck out his tongue in reproach and ignored his brother.

“Want to know what I’m going as?” Tom asked, moving into Bill’s bedroom, Bill’s domain, and flinging himself down on the bed like it was his own.

Bill pulled a sour expression and continued touching up his eyeliner in the full length mirror his mum had bought him last week. He looked pretty fucking cool. A billowing black and purple cape he’d made himself was draped over slim shoulders and his hair was spiked up all over the place in a dark crown. He was just testing the outfit, in preparation for the party tomorrow. Gustav’s older sister was throwing a Halloween party and Bill and Tom had been invited along by their drummer. Bill wasn’t entirely convinced that their invite was official but he supposed as long as they didn’t get in the way too much, Francesca wouldn’t care.

Bill was excited, he was looking forward to their first proper house party. Usually their social gatherings involved the band and Andy playing Never Have I Ever until one of them passed out on the sofa.

“Not especially,” Bill finally replied absently, trying not to accidentally poke his eyeball. Make-up was proving to be a learning curve.

“I’m going as Tarzan,” Tom announced all the same.

Bill rolled his eyes. “So basically you’re going in your underwear.”

“No,” Tom rolled his eyes this time. “It’s called a loin cloth.”

Bill snorted and spun round to face his twin. “It’s called a what?”

Tom shifted, lying back against Bill’s pillows and grinned across the room at him. “A loooin cloth.”

A bubble of laughter erupted from Bill’s mouth and Tom joined in, unable to stop himself.

“Stop saying it,” Bill chuckled and turned back to his handiwork, delicately dabbing under one eye to wipe away the smudge his laughter had left. It was dark outside and the light in his room wasn’t great so he had to squint, rubbing harder until the black blended into a smoky line.

Behind him, he could see Tom rifling through a pile of CDs on the bedside table and select one, an ancient Aerosmith they both used to listen to with Gordon.

“Does your CD player still work?” Tom asked Bill without looking up.

“Er, yeah,” Bill said.

“Georg fucking broke mine last week,” Tom said, pulling a face at the memory of a bass guitar swinging too enthusiastically and a CD player flying across the room.

“Oops,” Bill said.

“Yeah, oops.” Tom grouched. “Fucker.”

Bill hummed in agreement and pranced over to his wardrobe, throwing it open in search of inspiration. His outfit was not yet complete. Good thing he wore so much black these days.

“At least we still have yours,” Tom said, flashing a grin at Bill as he placed the CD carefully in the device and pressed play.

“I” Bill corrected him. “I have mine.”

“What’s yours is mine, little brother,” Tom sang. Bill frowned at Tom as he sat up in bed, leaning back against the wall and looking entirely too self-satisfied.

“I don’t think that’s how this twin thing works,” Bill said as he returned his attentions to his costume-creating. He had some cool flared trousers he wore last Halloween but he was pretty sure he’d shot up about fifteen inches since then... no they would be no good. One of mum’s old dresses from the 80s... he could wear it as a top. Nope. The dress hit the carpet.

“What are you doing?” Tom wanted to know.

“Halloween is tomorrow, Tom,” Bill said, as though it were obvious what he was doing.

“You look like a vampire most days anyway,” Tom said. “Just get some fangs from the fancy dress shop in town.”

“I’ve got to create my look,” Bill replied, still sifting through a mountain of old clothes in search of inspiration.

“I’ve already created mine,” Tom said proudly.

Bill looked at him. “What? One of mum’s old tea towels?”

“Nah,” Tom waved his hand in a vague gesture of dismissal. “One of your old t-shirts.”

Bill whirled round with a squawk. “What the hell?!”

Tom raised his hands protectively. “Hey, in my defence it used to be mine.”

“What’s yours is mine,” Bill mimicked with a sneer.

Tom only laughed, giving Bill a long look.

Bill glared at him scornfully.

“Hey,” Tom said, his voice suddenly softer and his smile faltering. “You know...” Tom trailed off and Bill looked at him expectantly. Tom’s cheeks were ever so slightly flushed, as though he had a secret and his eyes were downcast. Bill’s belly flipped in anticipation but he didn’t really understand why.

“What?” He prompted, dropping a glittery shawl he’d looted from his wardrobe.

Tom wouldn’t look at him, his dark eyes instead shifting over Bill’s shoulder, across to the Nena poster on his wall and then down to his own lap again.

Bill stepped closer to Tom, wanting to calm his brother down but also really fucking curious.

“Tarzan has a Jane,” Tom said at last, making eye contact with Bill.

“Duh, I’ve seen the movie,” Bill said as he stopped in the middle of the room, uninterested in Tom’s conversation now that he realised he was talking about a movie they’d seen like a hundred years ago.

“I know,” Tom said. “We went together.”

“Then why are you reminding me?”

Bill went back to admiring himself, turning this way and that in the mirror.

“Well, you could be my Jane,” Tom said quietly. “For the party, I mean.”

Bill rounded on Tom incredulously. “I’m not a fucking girl.”

“I know that,” Tom said quickly, finally catching Bill’s eye and not looking away.

Bill’s mouth opened but no words came. He settled instead on an indignant ugh and whipped the cape off his shoulders. Tom was unbelievable sometimes.

“I’m going to bed,” he declared, by way of dismissal. He snatched a make-up wipe from his desk and scrubbed angrily at his face.

Tom didn’t move.

“I’ll just stay until you’re ready for bed,” he said unhelpfully. Bill gave him a withering look and noticed the pink had disappeared from his cheeks and his usual air of confidence had returned.

“I am ready for bed,” Bill waved a hand dismissively and the charred looked make-up wipe fluttered to the floor. “Move.”

Bill stood above Tom at the side of his bed. The dim light from his only lamp cast golden shadows over Tom’s features making him glow warmly. Bill thought he looked rather pretty. An unexpected knot flipped in his belly and his eyes widened a fraction.

“Can’t I just stay here?” Tom said, breaking Bill from his moment. “There’s room for two.”

“You’ll steal all the covers,” Bill wheedled, but at the same time he was removing his jeans and t-shirt, scouting the room absently for one of Tom’s t-shirts to sleep in. With a triumphant yes he spotted his favourite red one and stuck his head and arms through the holes.

Tom laughed. “You look ridiculous.”

“This is your top,” Bill pointed out.

The door opened a crack and Simone poked her head through. “Night boys,” she said, blowing them each a kiss.

“Night mum,” Bill bounced over to their mother and looped his arms around her neck for a quick hug. “Tell Tom he has to stay in his own bed.”

“Tom,” their mother gave an amused look. “Bed, now. Your bed.”

“In a minute,” Tom assured her.

Bill was about to protest, knowing that Tom’s promise was as empty as the pond at the bottom of their garden, which hadn’t been more than a dried out mud hole since 1995. Then he turned and caught Tom’s eye and realised he didn’t actually care if Tom slept in his bed tonight.

As she left, Simone flicked the desk lamp off, plunging the room into semi-darkness. A silvery glow filtered in through the curtained window and cast an eerie glow over the room. Bill tip-toed over to the bed, delicately avoiding any stray pieces of jewellery that might stab him in the foot.

“Are you going to bed?”

“Yep,” Tom said, using an arm to tent the duvet he’d somehow managed to worm his way beneath in the intervening seconds between Simone’s departure and Bill’s arrival at the side of the bed.

Bill tried to look haughty but found himself grinning as he slipped in beside his brother and pressed back against the warmth of his body. The October night was chilly and Bill shuddered, wrapping them both tight inside the cocoon of his duvet.

“So,” Tom whispered in the dark. Bill felt the puff of his warm breath against the nape of his neck. “Shall we go shopping for your Jane dress tomorrow?”

“Fuck off!” Bill jabbed his elbow back into Tom’s abdomen and tried wriggling away, insulted. Tom was such a jerk.

“Noooo,” Tom protested. “Sorry, I’m sorry! Stay, will you?”

Tom’s arms had captured Bill, pulling him close again so they were pressed back-to-chest in the small bed. Tom was very close now, so close that when he murmured sorry one last time Bill felt the butterfly touch of his lips as he mouthed them against his shoulder.

Tom hummed and his arms did not drop from around Bill, instead holding him safe and warm in the darkness.

Bill fell asleep trying not to think about what being Tom’s Jane really meant.

—

“Bill! Tom! Are you ready yet?”

Bill heard their friend thunder up the stairs and burst into his room with a crash.

“Almost,” he told Andy as he shoved in some fake vampire teeth and gave himself a final once-over. He looked bad-ass. Earlier, he’d found one of Gordon’s glittery black tops from his band days and he was wearing it beneath his cape along with black jeans and black Converse. He’d even put some glitter over his black eye-shadow which sparkled silver when it caught the light.

“Whoa, you look awesome,” he praised when he saw Andy’s costume. Their friend was dressed up as a werewolf, fake fur stuck all over his face, arms and torso and two fluffy ears producing from his blonde hair. Fake blood was dripping from his mouth as though he’d just gorged on a moonlight victim.

“So do you, nice fangs,” Andy said, bearing his own teeth.

“Where’s Tom?”

“Dunno, probably adjusting his loin cloth,” Bill said passing Andreas to bound down the stairs to their living room.

“His what?!” Andreas said shrilly, hurrying after Bill.

“He’s going as Tarzan,” Bill said by way of explanation.

“Is he the dude who grows up with gorillas?” Andy said, wrinkling his nose in concentration as he recalled the movie.

“Yeah,” Bill threw himself on the sofa. He grabbed a bowl of candy their mother had left out for trick-or-treaters and crammed five gummy worms into his mouth, managing to get one stuck on a fang.

“Isn’t he naked?” Andy said, coming over to join Bill and digging his hand into the candy bowl.

“No, he’s wearing a loin cloth,” Bill said, rolling his eyes at the thought of Tom prancing about all night in next to nothing, probably tying to get the attention of some skank from school.

“Is that even a real Halloween costume?” Andy pulled a dubious expression which Bill pulled back in agreement.

“Of course it’s a real halloween costume,” Tom loomed over them both from behind the sofa. “You losers need to branch out.”

Bill hurried to sit up and peer over the sofa, eager to see what Tom had come up with.

His eyes widened. When had Tom got abs?

As promised, his twin was dressed only in one of Bill’s old t-shits, wrapped around his groin and knotted at the front. Some streaks of mud had been artfully painted over his chest and limbs and his dreads were down, hanging in loose ropes around his grinning face.

Bill gulped, not sure why his brother dressed like this was making his belly flip flop.

“You like?” Tom asked, striking a strong-man pose and waggling his eyebrows at Bill and Andreas.

“Dude, you’re gonna freeze,” Andy said. “It’s October.”

“I’ll be fine. Tarzan lived his whole life exposed to the elements.”

Andy snorted. “And you’ve lived your whole life in Magdeburg. Not the same.”

“Hey,” Tom protested. “It gets cold.”

“Exactly,” Andy said drily, waving an arm to indicate the window of the living room. A light drizzle had begun a few minutes earlier and Tom’s pose withered as he strode over to pull back the curtains more, revealing a dark and stormy Halloween night.

Then he turned around, moving back to Bill and Andy’s side of the sofa and reached down to pluck at Bill’s cape.

“It’s fine,” he said, tugging. “I’ll just borrow Bill’s cape.”

Up until this point Bill had only been able to gape at his brother, battling furiously with himself over these weird stirrings Tom’s near-nakedness had conjured, but now he snapped from his reverie and glared up at his twin. “You will not, the cape makes the whole outfit! How will people know I’m a vampire?”

“The fangs are a giveaway,” Tom pointed out.

Bill glared until Tom let go and looked sulky.

“You should have thought about that before you decided to wear a loin cloth,” Bill stood up and shoved his way past Tom to the door. “Are we going?”

“You look great, boys!” Their mother had entered the living through the archway that led to the kitchen at the back of the small house and was beaming at them.

“Thanks Mrs. Kaulitz,” Andy said around a mouthful of fizzy spiders.

“Thanks mum, bye mum,” Bill waved, snatching the door handle and tugging it wide. A gust of chilly October air rushed in to the warm confines of their home and Bill heard a girlish shriek.

“Fuck! Close that door!”

Bill rolled his eyes, turning round to see Tom shivering in the middle of the room, his tanned skin bumpy with goose pimples and his arms hugging his chest in an effort to banish the cold.

“Stop whining, we’re going to be late,” Bill whined himself. “Can’t you just wear your coat until we get there or something?”

“It will ruin my look,” Tom grouched, parroting Bill’s earlier qualms. But at their mother’s insistence he grabbed a coat all the same and the three of them waved goodbye to Simone before hurrying up the road towards Gustav’s house.

—

Gustav didn’t live far away, just two blocks over and through the park. They could hear the party before the could see it, a loud sound system booming into the night that would probably keep the neighbours awake well into the early hours. Bill wondered if the party would get shut down by the police and a thrill shot through him at the thought, he felt pretty cool right now.

It would be wild, he knew. Gustav’s parents spent a lot of time out of town and his sister was two years above Gustav, popular, pretty and willing to open their house to the masses.

“Sounds big,” Andy said.

Bill hummed in agreement.

“I hope Gustav will let us have some of his beer,” Tom said, shuddering beneath his coat. “I’m freezing.”

“Dummy,” Bill shook his head as they approached the front door.

It was already open so people could get in without interrupting the party so they stepped inside. Immediately the smell of teenagers partying hit them; beer, vodka, sweat, smoke all swirled together in a heady mix. It made Bill wrinkle his nose and he looked over at Tom. Already, Tom was removing his coat, dumping it by a pile of shoes abandoned by the door.

A couple of girls standing close by with plastic red cups in their hands giggled and cast hungry eyes over Tom. Tom didn’t notice, instead guiding Bill to the back of the house where the kitchen was with a gentle arm around his waist. Bill frowned slightly, wondering when his brother had become uninterested in chasing every girl in the vicinity.

Andy trailed after, craning his neck back towards the girls as they passed them, still giggling behind their hands.

“Dude, those girls couldn’t take their eyes off you!” He hissed when they arrived in the kitchen. “Why didn’t I come in a loin cloth?” Bill heard him mutter.

The room was packed, loud music thumping from the room next door and tens of people crammed in, all dressed in an assortment of crazy costumes, drinking, smoking, making out. Bill tried not to stare.

Everyone in the room seemed a lot older, which they probably were. Gustav’s sister was at college in Berlin, only back to visit for the holidays and Bill was pretty sure she’d invited half of campus back to Magdeburg with her. There were guys dressed and girls and girls dressed as guys, fake blood splattered over half the guests, ripped clothes, fangs, dead-looking contact lenses, girls dressed in virtually nothing… guys dressed in virtually nothing.

“Here, drink this,” Tom said loudly over the heavy baseline as he shoved a red cup into Bill’s hand.

“What is it?” Bill asked, wrinkling his nose down at some purplish sludge sitting in the cup.

“Just drink it,” Tom said, knocking back some of his own. “It’s good,” he assured Bill, smacking his lips.

Bill eyed Tom over the rim of his cup as he tentatively took a sip. His eyes widened a fraction as a deliciously sweet taste hit his tongue and he took several deep gulps.

“Whoa!” Tom batted at Bill’s hand, forcing him to stop downing the content of his cup in one go.

“Hey!” Bill glared at Tom indignantly.

“Don’t drink it too fast, you’ll puke everywhere.”

“I’m not twelve, Tom,” Bill stuck out his bottom lip and gave Tom a reproachful look. “Don’t baby me.”

Tom shook his head, stepping close and taking Bill’s wrist that was hidden in the folds of his cape. “I’m just… be careful, ok?”

Bill wondered why Tom was suddenly being so affectionate, but he didn’t fight it. He gave Tom’s hand a squeeze, pleased when Tom squeezed back and brushed a tender thumb over his palm.

“I’m good,” he promised, licking his lips. “Mmm, tastes like cherry.”

Tom laughed and didn’t relinquish the gentle grip he had on Bill’s hand. Bill noticed Tom wasn’t looking at his eyes while he laughed, but at his lips. Curious, he gave an experimental flick of his tongue so the glisten of the tongue stud flashed for a split second as he swept it across his slightly chapped, pink lower lip. Tom’s eyes darkened and he looked away rapidly.

Bill was intrigued but before he could experiment further Tom had done a one-eighty and was tugging Bill through the crowd of Francesca’s friends.

“C’mon,” Tom jerked his head towards the french doors that led to Gustav’s back garden. “Let’s go find Gustav.”

Bill suddenly remembered Andy and twisted round as Tom led him by the hand. He grinned when he saw their friend chatting enthusiastically to a girl from their year, Jessica or Sofie or whatever. Andy would be fine.

The cool night hit him like a block of ice and he shivered, wondering how on earth Tom was surviving this in just his stupid fucking loin cloth.

Outside was busy too, the thrum of people creating a noisy energy that Bill found exhilarating. The alcohol was already starting to make everything a little warm and fuzzy around the edges and Bill stuck close to Tom, an extra burst of something warming his insides as Tom’s fingers held more firmly onto Bill’s, hidden by his cape.

Just beyond the patio someone had dug a small fire pit and low, orange flames danced against the night. Several of Gustav’s slightly older friends sat around it with beers and cigarettes and Bill could definitely smell something else too which made him feel woozy. Amongst them sat their bassist, his arm slung casually around a pretty red head’s shoulders.

“Tom! Bill!” Georg called with a friendly wave, motioning for them to join.

Tom tugged on Bill’s hand, drawing them both close and Bill had to almost wrestle it from him as they approached the crowd of much older, much cooler party-goers. But as soon a they reached them, Bill felt small again and couldn’t help standing half an inch behind Tom, pressed against his side and wanting to be near enough to feel the heat of his body through the cape.

“You made it!” Georg bellowed, clearly more than half way to drunk.

“Course we did, wouldn’t miss it,” Tom spoke easily, confidently. “Where’s Gustav?”

Two of Georg’s friend hollered and Georg gave the twins a knowing wink.

“Upstairs,” he said slyly. “If you know what I mean.”

Bill’s eyes widened. ‘He’s having sex?”

Georg snorted, as did a few of the others and Tom’s hand found his again to lace their fingers together. Bill didn’t know why Tom kept touching him tonight.

“I saw him go upstairs with Leyla Hausler earlier,” Georg said meaningfully.

Bill gave a derisive snort. “She’s a massive bitch.”

Georg let out a low whistle. “I don’t think Gustav will see it that way.”

Bill shrugged, suddenly bored of the conversation and eager to get his hands on more of that sweet tasting purple stuff.

“I’m going back inside,” he announced, waving with a pretend smile to the guests sitting around the campfire.

Georg lifted his palm. “Catch you later. Don’t drink too much, kids!”

Bill lifted a middle finger over his shoulder as he departed, his cape whipping round his ankles in the wind. He probably looked like a real vampire, he thought.

“Hey, wait up.” Tom said, hurrying to catch up.

Bill grinned at his brother as Tom reached him just as he was re-entering the house and slipped his fingers beneath Bill’s cape to hook into his belt loops.

“You’re so touchy tonight,” Bill told him, glancing over at his brother as they located the punch bowl again and helped themselves to a second drink. Bill filled his up right to the top this time, chugging a couple of gulps as he fixed his brother with a questioning look. “Are you drunk already?”

To his surprise, Tom was blushing and looking into the punch bowl as though it was going to impart all his future destinies. It reminded Bill of when Tom had asked him to be his Jane.

“Just, dunno…” Tom’s gaze met his and he mumbled something Bill couldn’t hear over the music.

Around them people were jostling, dancing to the beat in the stuffy room, floor sticky and air thick with smoke.

“What?” Bill asked loudly, cocking his head.

Tom opened his mouth to speak louder but before he could say anything someone knocked into Bill hard. The breath was forced from his lungs as his drink went flying and his fangs fell from his mouth to land with a ‘plop’ in the punch.

Bill and Tom looked at each other over the bowl and promptly burst out laughing. The fangs sunk to the bottom where they sat, looking eerily in place.

“Ohhh!” Bill suddenly wailed, looking at Tom tragically. “Now no one will know I’m a vampire.”

Tom scooped up another drink for Bill and shot him a grin. “You still have your cape.”

Bill giggled at Tom. He was right, he still had his cape.

__

Three drinks later and Bill was giggling so hard at a joke Tom had just told he had to lean onto his twin for support.

They were in the living room, slumped together against the arm of a chinz sofa surrounded by a bunch of Francesca’s friends. Tom was propped back against the arm, his feet crossed at the ankle and a drink in his hand. Bill thought he looked good as Tarzan. Really fucking good.

They’d been all over each other all night, huddled away at the edge of the party while drunk teens were grinding against each other and talking too loudly over the music. Everything was hilarious and Bill kept falling into Tom, laughing breathily as Tom’s low voice charmed him, as Tom’s hands brushed the small of his back, reeling him closer every time Bill swayed into his personal space.

He didn’t know what was with him tonight. Why did he feel so close to Tom? His belly was full of the purple punch and so full of a sickly warmth that jumped and sparked every time Tom touched him, smiled at him. Tom’s eyes were hooded and his gaze rarely left Bill. Bill was back to experimenting with his tongue, he kept dabbing at his lower lip, licking the sticky purple from them and watching carefully as Tom watched him.

Something was going to happen tonight, something new…

“Where the fuck have you guys been all night?”

Bill jerked away from Tom, sobering the instant he came to the earth shattering realisation that this was most definitely inappropriate sibling behaviour and they were most definitely in a very public place.

“Stop canoodling and get your asses outside,” Andy was saying, beckoning for the twins to follow.

Bill and Tom looked guiltily at each other but the next second Tom grinned secretly at Bill and they burst into fits of tipsy laughter.

Andy shot them a look over his shoulder. “I’m not even going to ask.”

They traipsed after their friend, Tom’s hands sneaking touches at Bill as they went, hidden by the crowds and his cape, calloused fingers finding smooth skin.

“Where are we going?” Bill asked when they finally emerged into the night. Immediately, Tom pressed close against Bill’s back, shivering.

“Get your fuckin’ coat, Tom,” Andy slurred. “Here.” He shoved a dark green parka at Tom, who picked it up, surprised.

“Where d’you get this?”

But Andy was already stumbling over to the fire pit, too drunk or just didn’t care enough to reply.

Tom and Bill followed. A different group was sitting around the fire this time, Georg was no where to be seen and instead Bill recognised several of their classmates and a few older guys, probably Francesca’s college friends. He frowned, not overly keen to be spending any time with his school peers. Hopefully he and Tom would be out of Magdeburg in the coming months, well on their way to stardom and would never have to see any of these losers again.

For now though, he was too tipsy to really care so he perched on a log, Tom crowding close to him and huddling for warmth.

Beneath the parka, one of Tom’s arms slid around Bill’s waist. Bill gave a pleased little smile and subtly pressed their thighs together.

“You guys in?” An older boy spoke loudly over the crack of the fire and the muffled beat of the music.

Bill blinked owlishly over the fire pit but before he could answer Andy interrupted. “They’re in.”

“What are we in for?” Bill whispered to Tom.

“Truth or dare!” Andy boomed, waving his red plastic cup grandiosely so some beer sloshed out of it and hissed as it landed on the embers. “Who wants to go first?”

“You can,” Tom snickered at their friend.

“Alright, truth,” Andy responded without flinching.

“Have you ever had a dream about making out with a family member?” A girl asked, the same girl Bill recognised as Jessica, or Sofie. She giggled and Bill felt Tom tense beside him. Did he have a crush on Jessica/Sofie?

Bill shook his head and was just about to investigate the remaining alcohol in his cup when someone said: “Your turn,” and Bill felt Tom sit up straight. He hadn’t even heard Andy’s answer.

“Dare,” Tom said quickly and Bill beamed around at the teens siting at the campfire. Tom wasn’t scared of anything, he would put them all to shame. Tom had once rescued Bill from a rapid dog, that had in fact turned out to be the neighbours new puppy.

“I dare you to spend ten minutes in Gustav’s creepy-ass shed.” The boy gave a shudder. “With all those spiders an’ shit.”

Bill gulped and turns wide eyes upon Tom, who had paled in the moonlight.

Tom was deathly afraid of spiders.

Immediately, Bill stood up and declared loudly. “I’ll go instead.”

“No!” Tom cleared his throat and looked shiftily up at Bill from the log.”We’ll go together.”

One of the girls began protesting, something about breaking the rules. What fucking rules? Bill thought, this was truth or dare not one of Gustav’s lame-ass board games.

He waved a hand to shush her and said, “Twins are basically one person.”

“True,” Andy nodded sagely and Bill grinned at him gratefully, not even sure their friend was following the conversation. Loyal to the end, was Andy.

“Fine, fine, whatever,” the guy who’d dared them was saying. “Of you twerps go, ten minutes and if you come out before there’s a forfeit.”

“What’s the forfeit?” Bill wanted to know. He felt Tom stand up beside him, clinging onto his hand a little too hard.

“I haven’t thought about it yet but you probably won’t want to find out.” He eyed them both meanly.

“Whatever,” Bill said airily, the purple punch giving him an extra boost of liquid courage as he tugged on Tom’s hand to follow up away from the light of the dancing flames. “Don’t get too bored without us.”

“Biiilllll,” Tom hissed as they departed. “We’re not really gonna do this are we?”

The sound of the party faded behind them as Bill trudged down Gustav’s garden with Tom trailing behind him, his hands wrapped in the folds of Bill’s cape. Above them the moon shone bright, the clouds from earlier having parted to reveal a clear sky.

“Of course we are,” Bill glanced behind him to see Tom’s dark eyes wide with fear and his lip caught between his teeth anxiously.

“But it’s Halloween,” Tom said in a dramatic whisper.

“We’ve done way worse than this,” Bill snorted as they approached the shed. “Remember that time mum caught us smoking her pot stash?”

Tom snorted and let go of Bill’s cape, distracted by the memory. “Oh yeah, I thought she was going to skin us alive.”

Bill’s hand reached out to pull at the shed door. “This is nothing compared to… AHH!”

Tom’s nails dug violently into Bill’s upper arm and he yanked Bill backwards, away from impending danger. But Bill was in no such danger, for he was nearly doubled over in a fit of giggles.

“What the fuck, Bill?!” Tom shoved Bill away from him and through the open shed door.

“Sorry!” Bill panted, catching his breath as Tom followed him in and slowly shut the door with a creak. “It was too fucking easy.”

Tom shoved him again, making Bill stumble in the dark. His foot caught on something solid and he yelped tumbling to the floor and bringing down a torrent of badminton rackets with him.

“Shit! Bill? Are you ok?”

Bill could hear Tom scrambling around and then felt his hands on him, trying to pull him upright again.

“I don’t know I can’t see anything you fucker,” he replied in a savage hiss. Begrudgingly however, he accepted Tom’s assistance and his twin hauled him upright.

“Sorry, but it was payback.”

“Whatever.” Bill brushed himself off, wincing when he felt a graze on the palm of one of his hands. “You cut me,” he complained, licking the wound he couldn’t see and hoping he wasn’t ingesting mouse poison.

“Shit, sorry,” Tom said again, this time sounding genuinely apologetic. “Where?”

“My hand,” Bill said. Slowly, his eyes became accustomed to the dark until he could see the dark shape of Tom dressed as Tarzan in a parka before him. Tom’s dreads were cobwebby and he was casting worried eyes over at Bill.

“Here,” Tom said, gently prising Bill’s hand from where he’d pressed his tongue flat against the palm. Spit wasn’t the most hygienic salve, Bill realised. Tom probably thought he was gross.

Then, to his amazement, Tom lifted Bill’s palm to his own mouth and pressed his lips tenderly over the wound, the tiniest swipe of his tongue sending a rush of butterflies straight from Bill’s chest to his abdomen.

“Oh,” he uttered, his brain working an half-speed. Their eyes met in the dusty dark of Gustav’s garden shed and they both burst out laughing, the alcohol still working it’s magic.

“How long do you think we’ve been in here?” Bill asked when they’d calmed down and found a couple of dust-infested deckchairs to recline in.

“Probably like two minutes,” Tom replied, scooting his deckchair close to Bill’s.

“Do you think someone will come and get us when time is up?”

“They’re probably all too drunk to remember we’re even down here,” Tom chuckled.

“Then let’s get out of here!” Bill said, making to get up.

A hand on Bill’s arm stopped him and he looked over at Tom questioningly. “Stay?”

“Er, ‘kaaay,” Bill said slowly. “What are we gonna do then? Aren’t you afraid?”

Tom shook his head. “Not with you.”

Bill grinned. “Aw.”

Tom grinned back.

“It is kind of cool down here,” Bill said, looking around the shed. An eclectic collection of old sports gear, gardening tools, furniture and ancient toys were piled high against every wall, all covered in a thick layer of dust and cobweb. It smelled old, which Bill thought was cool.

“It’s quiet,” Tom observed, looking around, too.

“I can still hear the party,” Bill noted.

Tom chortled. “You and the whole neighbourhood. I’m glad I’m not Gustav.”

Bill giggled as he thought of the wrath that would descend upon he and Tom should they ever decide to throw an almighty Halloween celebration. Their mum was cool, but not that cool.

“Let’s play a game,” Tom said out of the blue.

Bill’s eyes lit up. “Ok. Like what?”

“Truth or dare.”

Bill rolled his eyes at Tom. “We were just playing that, Tom. It’s what got us here in the first place.”

“Just…” Tom grinned at Bill, a knowing twinkle in his dark eyes that Bill couldn’t decipher. “Go along with me.”

Bill looked at the ceiling for a second time and huffed out an acquiescence. “Fine.”

Tom stood and began pacing the small space in front of Bill’s chair. Bill could see his abs flexing as he moved and he bit his lip, allowing himself an extra long stare while Tom was distracted.

“Truth or dare?”

“Hey! Why do I have to go first?” Bill squawked as he was yanked from his trance. He rose from his seat indignantly.

“Ok ok,” Tom held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll go first. Dare.”

Bill grinned wickedly. “I dare you to eat a spider.”

Tom balked. “No fucking way!”

Bill shoved him playfully. “I was kidding. My turn.”

Tom stopped pacing. “I didn’t even go.”

Bill shrugged. “You can owe me.”

Tom flashed him a lopsided smile, looking at Bill fondly. Bill felt his insides twist, but not uncomfortably. This purple stuff must have been magic, Bill thought. He felt warm, a heavy feeling had settled in his stomach at the beginning of the night and he didn’t know why or what it was. But he liked it. He liked being here with Tom.

He blinked at his twin. Tom was giving him a funny look. “Truth or dare?” He asked.

“Dare,” Bill said, biting his lower lip in anticipation.

The darkness surrounded them like a cloak and Tom said. “I dare you to kiss me”

“What?” Bill blinked, his belly flipping so hard with nerves and excitement he nearly forgot how to breathe.

Tom was silent.

Bill saw him take a step closer and his stomach swirled when he saw Tom giving him a look he’d only ever seen him give girls before.

“Fine,” Tom said as he stood so close to Bill that he could feel his warm breath on his lips. “You said I owed you.”

And then Tom was kissing Bill and it was like a thousand fireworks had exploded inside his stomach, the butterflies blown away in a warm, gut-wrenching, amazing whirlwind.

Tom’s tongue was soft and probing and his lips moved gently, opening Bill’s mouth, guiding him into the best kiss of his life. Without even knowing what he was doing, Bill’s arms came up to hold Tom’s biceps through the parka and then Tom was pushing him backwards so his back hit a stack of wooden crates with a thud.

Bill felt breathless and he sucked air in a desperately through his nose, whimpering when Tom’s hands pushed beneath his top and held him close, their bodies flush, but not close enough.

Then Tom was pulling back, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open slightly. Bill knew Tom’s expression was mirrored in his own.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since forever,” Tom admitted, dazedly.

“Since we got the party?” Bill wanted to know, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Tom shook his head and laughed. “No, dummy. Since like, Georg showed us that video of Bay Watch.”

“That was ages ago and- hey!” Bill frowned. “I remind you of those trolls on Bay Watch?”

Tom grinned, pushing Bill back against the crates again. “You are way better than those girls on Bay Watch. That was…”

Tom trailed off and Bill noticed he was watching his lips again. With a playful look at Tom he licked his lips, and was promptly attacked by another forceful kiss.

“Are you guys still in here?”

Bill and Tom broke apart with matching ‘shits’ as Andy burst through the shed door and almost fell onto the twins, who had only just managed to detangle themselves from each other’s arms.

“You could have come out like, half an hour ago,” Andy slurred. “I’ve come to your rescue.”

“Thank God,” Bill said loudly as he side stepped their drunk friend and exited to the garden. “Tom makes a shit Tarzan, he screamed like a girl when we saw a mouse.”

Bill grinned as he heard Tom explode behind him and strolled up towards the house, Tom ranting behind him.

Things would change now, Bill realised.

And he couldn’t fucking wait.


End file.
